Burrell: Saints must use huge win as fuel

Tom Vickers

Luther Burrell admits last weekend’s win at Harlequins could prove ‘huge’ for Saints.

And he has urged his team to use it as fuel for the crucial Aviva Premiership games in the weeks ahead.

Ben Foden scored a dramatic last-gasp try to earn a vital 27-23 victory for Jim Mallinder’s men at The Stoop.

Had they lost, they would have been 13 points behind Quins, but Foden’s try dragged Saints back to just seven points adrift of Conor O’Shea’s fourth-placed side.

And Burrell said: “It could be huge, but we can’t get carried away. We have to use it as fuel.

“There are still areas of the game where we’re a little bit frantic, we just need to tidy a few areas up, but we’re very resilient – our defence was fantastic. Harlequins put us under a lot of pressure.

“But last weekend’s result is very, very good for us.

“We needed to go down there and get a win with Gloucester picking up a good win (at Bath last Friday).

“They pipped us in the league table so last weekend’s game was very big for us and full credit to the lads for stepping up and playing for the full 80 minutes.”

Burrell was back to his bulldozing best as he played a part in all three Saints scores in the success at The Stoop.

And he will now be looking to take the belief he gained from that display into Saturday’s clash with London Irish at Franklin’s Gardens.

“I got some good ball, managed to get behind the defensive line, which is where I find I’m at my best,” Burrell said.

“That will give me a lot of confidence going into this week, when we’re back at home, but I couldn’t have done it without the lads around me.

“They knew that me and everyone else needed a big game and I think it was not just myself, a lot of players stepped up.”